By Bruno Waterfield - 15th May 2006
Centre-right MEPs have been accused of “hypocrisy” over a boycott of a European parliament speech by Bolivian leader Evo Morales.
The left-wing populist Bolivian president has offended international opinion by nationalising oil and gas reserves – including assets owned by big European interests.
Oil companies including Spanish Repsol, British BP and French Total have all lost out after foreign companies were given six months to negotiate new contracts or leave.
Because of the nationalisation row most of the parliament’s right-wing EPP-ED bloc, the largest political grouping of MEPs, stayed away from the EU assembly’s Strasbourg chamber as Morales an address on Monday.
The Bolivian president attacked his conservative critics for a walk-out justified because the La Paz government had refused to negotiate with European companies over the nationalisation.
“Some legislators left, that is not dialogue; it is disdain, it is humiliation,” he said.
“I understand that your companies need a return on their investments, but you cannot own the resources – the state will control them. Companies will be our partners but not owners of natural resources. I regret that some parts of the media trying to create confrontation.”
“No one is being expelled, nor is anyone being expropriated.”
President of the European Socialists Poul Nyrup Rasmussen accused the EPP-ED of running scared of a real debate.
“It is sheer hypocrisy. How can the right talk about democracy in Bolivia when they wont even enter into a dialogue with the president?"
"They can disagree with Evo Morales, but he made the effort to come to the European parliament to explain his position and they should at least listen to what he has to say.”
“They don’t like his decisions but they don’t take the opportunity to tell a democratically elected leader what they think - it's a complete nonsense,” he told EUpolitix.com.
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